“What about the truck?” Christopher asks. The mention of the truck only fuels his exit plan ideas more. “Is there any way we can find his keys?”
“He’d not leave the keys. He isn’t that stupid,” I say, not even having to look to see. Although I point to a drawer. “If they are anywhere, they are in that drawer.”
Christopher nearly has us sprinting to see, and I watch his face fall as he finds the drawer empty as I expected.
I look outside and see that it’s snowing again. The thought of hiking down a hill to the town is daunting. Especially chained together. We struggle to walk comfortably, let alone try to run while shackled. In fact, it feels near impossible. It will be cold. We can die of hyperthermia, shoes or not. And if we get caught…
Papa Rich will torture Christopher right in front of my eyes. He can’t take anything more from me now that Pine Cone is gone, but he can kill Christopher. He can make me live the rest of my life without him. I also know that Papa Rich will make me marry Scarecrow as my penance, and I prefer to die in the acid pit over that.
“I think we need to think this through,” I begin.
Christopher takes my hand and brushes my hair away from my face. “I know you’re afraid. I know warning bells are going off in your head, but I need you to trust me. I need you to give your all. We can escape here if we stick to my plan. I need you not to fight me. I need you to work with me on this. We’ll be free, Ember. I swear to you, we will be.”
I want to do what Christopher asks. I want to be a good wife. But more than that, I want to be free.
Yes, free.
I don’t even know what that word really means. Away from Papa Rich, I suppose means free. Not having to ever see Scarecrow again means free. Leaving Hallelujah Junction and not having to walk amongst the tunnels or be forever locked in a schoolhouse would be free.
But then what?
Where will I live? What will I do?
Who will I be?
Will I be Ember the Hallelujah Junction ghost forever?
I don’t know what the world looks like. I don’t know what people will say or do. I don’t know how to live and breathe in another world. I may be in a cage now like an animal, but I’m fed, I’m protected…
“My mother,” I say to Christopher. “If I leave here, who will protect me from my mother? She could find out I’m alive and where to find me. Papa Rich warned me that leaving here means she can find me.”
Christopher places his palms on both sides of my face and stares at me in the eyes. “It’s a story,” he begins. “Richard made this up to scare you and to explain why he would never let you leave this town. The real reason he keeps you hidden from the world is because he’d go to jail if anyone found out about you. You aren’t his. You never were. He kidnapped you, Ember. He kept you locked here in his own manipulative way. I know that’s hard to hear, but it’s the truth. He stole you.”
I shake my head, not wanting to hear the words that deep down I know to be true.
“Why?” I swallow hard and divert my eyes from Christopher’s stare. “Why would he do that to me? Why would he want to keep me locked up? He’s my father. He loves me.”
“Ember…” Christopher leans forward and kisses my forehead and then embraces me. “He’s a sick man. I can’t give you a reason for why he does what he does. He’s killed people. Only monsters and demons kill people. He’s not your father. He’s nothing but darkness, and you have to escape that. You believe we have to get away, right?”
I nod against his chest. “Yes.”
I begin to cry, and I don’t know why. Is it because I’m scared? Is it because I’m leaving Papa Rich and it’s breaking my heart thinking about what I will do without him? Am I sick like him because a part of me doesn’t want to leave? Part of me wants to stay… why?
But the sane part of me screams to my soul. I know we have to leave. Not just because of my freedom but because of Christopher’s. He can’t spend the rest of his life chained to me in a place that isn’t his home.
This isn’t right. It’s never been right.
“And if by some chance,” Christopher adds, “you do have some crazy mother out there who wants to harm you, I’ll protect you with my life. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Then we should go,” I say with a sudden spike of courage. “If we try to run, we may beat him before he returns.”